


Soccer Played on a Field of Irony

by rowx3yourships



Series: Not What Was Expected [5]
Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Alpha Lee Jeno, Alpha Nakamoto Yuta, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Beta Huang Ren Jun, Huang Ren Jun & Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Are Best Friends, Huang Ren Jun is Whipped, I'm Bad At Titles, Imprinting, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is a Little Shit, M/M, Multi, Na Jaemin is a Brat, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Omega Lee Taeyong, Omega Na Jaemin, Omega Qian Kun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:55:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowx3yourships/pseuds/rowx3yourships
Summary: Donghyuck wasn't sure how he ended up letting his best friend force him to go to a soccer match(that's a lie - he was tricked and dragged against his will with the promise of free hot chocolate and a meal afterwards)- but he definitely wasn't prepared for what happened when he caught sight of one of the players. Because befriending any jocks(excluding his roommate)was definitely out of the picture. Imprinting with one? That's another level of things that Donghyuck will not do. Until he does exactly that.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Nakamoto Yuta, Lee Taeyong/Qian Kun
Series: Not What Was Expected [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1515275
Comments: 73
Kudos: 283





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> so begins another part of the a/b/o universe (and this one has ended up becoming a multi-chaptered story)
> 
> there will be more relationships / characters / tags / such to be added as I post things ... I just don't want to ruin any of the surprises / twists ... with that being said - I hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **EDIT - AUTHOR'S NOTE**
> 
> _[[ if you're reading this after the third chapter was posted - the tags / such will spoil a cliffhanger / teaser ... I'm sorry - I hope some of it doesn't confuse you and that you still enjoy ]]_

Donghyuck followed Renjun into the bleachers as he seemed to be scoping out the best seats. It was silly, there weren’t that many people here yet and Donghyuck wasn’t sure how many would actually show up. It was a Thursday so there wasn’t the same draw as there might be on a weekend. But Renjun was dragging him along with a grin. 

“I get it, one of your mates is on the team, so that’s why you would want to come sit out on these hard bleachers. But why do I need to be here? I don’t even like sports. Jeno is one of the only jocks that I can even stand to be around for more than a few seconds.” 

Donghyuck sighed as he sat down beside Renjun, rolling his eyes at how excited his friend seemed to be, and the game hadn’t even started yet. Renjun turned to frown at him and Donghyuck managed to keep from laughing. The weather had hit a sudden cold spurt and it made Renjun’s nose and cheeks turn red. 

Renjun crossed his arms over his chest and it only made the image more amusing. “It’s Jeno’s first game where he’s starting. You’re here because he’s your friend and even if you don’t act like it, you do like him. That and I’ll buy you hot chocolate later.” Renjun grinned at him before turning to look back out at the still empty field. 

“You have two mates, why couldn’t you drag the other one here with you? At least he has a valid reason to be here.” Donghyuck crossed his arms over his chest, partially to return the stubborn gesture, but also partially because he hadn’t been expecting to be sitting outside at a soccer game when Renjun had asked if he wanted to hang out, so he wasn’t wearing a warm enough coat.

“Jaemin is stuck in labs all day today. Thursday’s he has a full day of anatomy, between the lecture and labs. We barely get to see him for lunch, and most of the time it’s rushed. So I’ve been coming to watch Jeno’s practices and games alone.” Renjun’s voice was a little softer and his scent seemed to dip slightly. Donghyuck sighed before shifting closer to wrap an arm around him both for comfort and warmth.

“You know he’s stupidly in love with you. I heard from Jiyoo that he is constantly talking about you and Jeno. She said when it gets to the point of annoying she threatens to makeout with Hyunmin right in front of him.” Donghyuck smirked at Renjun, feeling a little bit of relief as he laughed in response.

“And I’m sure Hyunmin would gladly agree to makeout with her anywhere and anytime.” 

“Mates. Gross.” Donghyuck faked a gagging sound before he saw a grin start to form on Renjun’s face and he didn’t trust that expression. Not when it was aimed at himself. “Whatever you’re thinking, no. I know that look.”

Renjun shook his head and put on an innocent expression that might fool anyone else, but Donghyuck knew Renjun too well. “What if you haven’t met your mate yet because they‘re on one of the sports teams?”

“A jock? Are you kidding me? No thanks. Jocks are gross.” Donghyuck shook his head, suppressing a shudder. He had more than enough experience with that sort to last a lifetime.

“One of my mates is an athlete, remember?” Renjun was frowning at him with a slight tinge of true anger on his face. Donghyuck had seen Renjun verbally destroy someone who had insulted Jaemin, and he knew that his friend would not hesitate to do anything to defend either of his mates.

“Of course I remember, why else would I be sitting out here on these hard ass bleachers in the cold? Jeno is the exception, obviously.” Donghyuck gave Renjun a cute pout. _“Mianhae.”_

Renjun shuddered and Donghyuck laughed. “Never try to be cute again. I feel sick now.”

Donghyuck was about to respond when there was a cheer from a group of people a few rows below where they were sitting (as Renjun had insisted on sitting towards the middle of the bleachers - something about aerial view or whatever) and he turned to see the team starting to run out onto the field. He laughed as Renjun jumped up and joined with the cheering, his scent suddenly brightening, before standing himself. He started to scan the players to find Jeno, when suddenly he felt a shock and lost his balance, bumping into Renjun and moving to look away from the field. It had to have been some weird static thing from the bleachers. 

When Donghyuck turned back to the field and the players, his eyes almost instantly found the same person he had a moment before and he felt a rush of warmth curling in his chest. _‘It can’t be that. Of course not.’_ He watched as the other boy seemed to keep glancing back towards him. A bright grin was aimed in his direction, along with a wink, and Donghyuck felt his face flush with heat rather than the cold. He dropped back onto the bleachers, not sure if he could stand while his mind and heart both seemed to be racing against each other. 

A trio of girls who Donghyuck thought he recognized from somewhere on campus squealed at the wink from the guy that he was trying not to think about possibly having actually imprinted with. He watched as one of the girls stood and waved her arms around before raising her arms over her head to make a heart shape and yelled at him. _“OPPA IS THE BEST! SARANGHAE!”_ A flash of anger shot up his spine and his mind instantly lashed out that nobody should be flirting like that with his mate. 

When Donghyuck realized what had just gone through his mind, he muttered a curse under his breath. He had actually imprinted. With a jock. “Fuck.”

Renjun turned to look back at him before sitting beside him with a worried expression. “Are you okay?” 

Donghyuck nodded, pasting on a smile. “I’m fine, it’s just cold. And they’re the type of crazy girls who probably dig through their crush’s trash or break into their room to steal hair from their brush.” He crossed his arms over his chest, unable to keep from glaring at the girl who had screamed. 

“O-kay then. How about I go get some hot chocolate before the game actually starts?” Renjun smiled and stood up again, pointing at Donghyuck. “Don’t move or we’ll lose our seats and then I’ll have to kill you.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes with a nod. “Yeah, yeah, just go get me some hot chocolate.” He waved off towards the top of the stairs before turning back to the field again. His eyes quickly found who he was looking for and he let himself stare for a moment. He had to admit, the other guy was attractive. And he wasn’t one of the overly worked out types like- _'No, don’t even think about that.'_ Donghyuck shook his head and pushed those thoughts away. Instead, he focused his attention back on studying the guy who he had apparently imprinted with.

When Renjun returned with the hot chocolate, it looked like the teams were getting ready to start the game. Donghyuck reached and took one of the cups and sipped the hot liquid, burning the tip of his tongue slightly. He turned from staring down at the players to get Renjun’s attention. “Hey, do you know who that is?” He motioned to where his supposed mate had been stretching. 

Renjun turned to follow where he was pointing before shaking his head. “No, I only know a few of the others on the team. You can always ask Jeno after the game.” Renjun started to smirk, leaning closer to playfully bump shoulders with him. “Why? Do you have a crush? On a jock?”

Donghyuck was thankful for the cold that had almost surely left his cheeks red, because he knew his face would have flooded with color. “No, of course not. Why would I have a crush on a jock?” He turned his attention back to the field, continuing in his head. _‘I’ve imprinted with one.’_

Soon enough the game started and Donghyuck could feel the barely contained excitement from Renjun, his scent brightening even more. And even if he didn’t play or watch sports (something that was surely going to change now), he knew that for a freshman to be in a starting position was a big deal for Jeno. The announcer had a voice that almost sounded familiar but that faded out of his head as he watched the game (or rather, watched his mate). There was a moment when it looked like his mate was trying to do something in his direction before he slightly stumbled and Donghyuck couldn’t keep from laughing.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Renjun had turned to look back at him with a slight frown. “Your scent is off somehow, and I thought you said you hated sports. You haven’t taken your eyes off the game since it started. Just admit it, soccer games are actually entertaining.” 

Renjun winked playfully and Donghyuck shook his head with a slight scoff. “I have no idea what’s going on down there. I know the players are trying to get the ball into the other teams net. But otherwise it’s just people running back and forth.” 

Just then one of the players from the other team attempted to kick the ball into the team’s net but it was caught at the last moment by his mate. The crowd jumped up to cheer and Donghyuck didn’t stop himself from joining in, staring at the smile on his mate’s face. Okay, he could potentially get used to this. The smile on his mate’s face was so happy and bright that Donghyuck couldn’t keep from smiling in return and he felt a sudden cliche of butterflies in his chest. Then his mate turned to smile more softly in his direction and Donghyuck almost squealed in a very undignified way. Okay, he could definitely get used to this.

Donghyuck watched as the players continued running across the field, not sure what was going on with the game. He would have to do some reading about the sport before the next game. Because he would of course end up showing up to every game he could now. Renjun was going to laugh at him, he was sure. There was excited cheering and Donghyuck looked across the field to see some of their players close to the other team’s side of the field.

The announcer called out Jeno’s name, that he had just scored a goal and Renjun’s attention was torn away from where he had been watching Donghyuck again and he was jumping and cheering. Donghyuck found Jeno on the field and laughed at the embarrassed smile on his friend’s face. Renjun kept cheering for a moment after the rest of the crowd had stopped and Donghyuck shook his head with a smile. Even if Donghyuck didn’t know Renjun’s actual personality and/or relationship, Renjun’s scent was strong enough that his feelings were more than obvious. And while he would never admit it out loud, but he thought their trio mates couple were adorable together. And he might have been a little jealous occasionally. Of course now - things had changed. 

Donghyuck smiled happily at his best friend’s excitement. Renjun might not have said anything, but Donghyuck had been able to tell he had been having a rough week. His scent had been souring slightly and Donghyuck wasn’t sure what was going on, but he made a mental note to pull him out for hot pot at some point this weekend. 

There was anxious shouts from some of the fans and Dongyuck turned his attention back to the game where he saw several players from both teams seemed to be getting closer to their team’s goal. Suddenly one of the other team managed to kick the ball towards the net and Donghyuck felt his heart drop slightly when it managed to slip past his mate’s hands. There was a groan from several people in the stands and he sighed. His mate turned to look up at him briefly and Donghyuck tried to send him some sign that it was okay and he was still doing a great job, and his mate sent a small smile and nod in return. 

The same trio of girls sitting a few rows in front of them started yelling cheers for his mate and Donghyuck clenched his fists and bit his lip to keep from saying anything. But apparently that didn’t keep Renjun from turning back to him with a slightly confused expression. “Hyuck, are you okay?”

Donghyuck nodded with a small sigh, trying to calm himself again. Of course Renjun would be able to tell. “I’m fine. I just zoned out for a moment.” He could tell that Renjun was still worried slightly and probably didn’t completely believe him, but there was more shouting from some of the fans and an announcement of a sudden pause to the game as there was an injury. Both Donghyuck and Renjun quickly turned back towards the field, looking for their respective mates. Luckily it seemed to be someone from the opposing team, and therefore nobody they knew or cared for. 

Donghyuck felt his heartbeat slow down again and he took a deep breath. Renjun gently nudged him with his shoulder. “You’re becoming a fan, just admit it.” The familiar teasing look was on his face again and Donghyuck sighed with a groan. “Does this mean you’ll come to things with me now?”

Shaking his head, Donghyuck tried to go back to his previous attitude. “Pft. Why would I want to come to every other game this year? Just to sit with you?”

Renjun laughed and nodded. “Of course. I am amazing company. And you’re becoming a fan yourself. You can deny it as much as you want, but I know you.” He smirked and Donghyuck frowned at the familiar plotting expression. “Besides, your scent has been a little different the whole game. You can’t hide that from me, so you should just give up and admit it.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and turning back towards the field where it looked like the game was starting again. “Oh shut up, Jun. You wanted to come watch the game, so go back to drooling over one of your mates.”

He felt Renjun’s arms around him and managed to keep from laughing as he tried to shake him with a grumble. Renjun wasn’t very physically affectionate a lot of the time, or at least as obviously affectionate as Jaemin or even Jeno, but Donghyuck could tell that the seemingly violent teasing was meant as friendly affection. 

Renjun pulled back with a soft laugh before nudging him with his shoulder again. “Thanks for coming, Hyuck.” Donghyuck laughed and wrapped his arms around Renjun and leaned his head on his shoulder, grinning to himself as Renjun acted like he was trying to get away. “I kind of wish your mate shows up soon. Maybe you’ll stop annoying me so much.”

Donghyuck let out an exaggerated gasp before pulling away. “I am a delight! How dare you!”

Renjun laughed loudly before nodding exaggeratedly. “Of course you are, Hyuck.” He turned his attention back towards the field. Donghyuck could see the soft smile on his face that he always had when around his mates. 

“You’re hopeless.” Donghyuck laughed and crossed his arms over his chest again with a grin at the frown on Renjun’s face.

“Oh shut up and watch the game. Just wait until you find your mate. I bet you’re even worse.”

“We both know that Jaemin will never lose his title of most whipped. So even if I do imprint, I could never be worse than your own mate.”

Renjun looked like he was about to reply when there was a cheer from some of the others in the crowd and they both turned their attention to the field where it looked like they had scored another goal. They both jumped up, joining the others in cheering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> the names of any side / original characters are purely made up - so any connections are purely a coincidence
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! let me know what you thought and if you have any questions / thoughts / requests / such ... I love hearing from people


	2. Chapter 1.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this story is taking so long to update - I have been working on it (as well as a few other things) ... so hopefully you all will enjoy
> 
> (apologies if it's awkward cropping - this chapter overlaps with both the first chapter and the next one to come - so I tried to keep things interesting / understandable ... this is also meant as just a sort of half chapter as a special type ... so let me know if there's any questions / such)

Donghyuck’s scent had shifted and Renjun frowned slightly as he waited in line for the hot chocolate. Not only his scent, but whatever his reaction to the girls cheering on the other players had been strange. Donghyuck had always complained about sports and athletes and such, but he seemed almost jealous when the girls had cheered for one of the other players on the team. But he couldn’t understand why he would be jealous. Unless - but that was ridiculous. Renjun shook his head. To think Donghyuck might have actually imprinted on a member of the team was laughable. 

After ordering the hot chocolate, Renjun nodded at the omega he recognized from one of his art classes who was working the concessions with a small wave and smile. He took the cups and made his way back to the seats they had gotten. He stopped a few stairs away from their spot, staring at Donghyuck for a moment. He was actually staring at the field. Renjun had expected him to have pulled out his phone or something else. Instead it looked like he was actually interested in what was happening on the field. 

Renjun walked down to sit beside Donghyuck, holding out his hot chocolate before glancing at the field. His eyes almost instantly found Jeno and he smiled. There was a special sort of excited glow that always seemed to linger on his face whenever he was on the field. That was part of the reason he loved coming to watch practices and games. Not to mention, he would always support him in whatever he wanted. Whatever Jeno or Jaemin either wanted. 

“Hey, do you know who that is?”

Renjun blinked at being pulled from his thoughts and turned to Donghyuck, raising an eyebrow at his question before turning back to the field where he was pointing. He didn’t recognise him from any of the interactions with the other members of the team. He shook his head, turning back to Donghyuck. “No, I only know a few of the others on the team. You can always ask Jeno after the game.” A thought crossed his mind again and he smirked, leaning to bump shoulders with him. “Why? Do you have a crush? On a jock?” The thought of Donghyuck having a crush on an athlete was amusing. As much as he argued and complained about athletes (although knowing some of his reasoning - was perfectly understandable), it was ironic and more than a little amusing. 

“No, of course not. Why would I have a crush on a jock?” 

Renjun didn’t completely believe Donghyuck, something was off. He wasn’t sure what exactly had changed, but there was something different with him and a change with his scent. He sipped his hot chocolate and turned back to the field, smiling to himself as he watched Jeno as the game started. 

Renjun turned back to Donghyuck at the sound of his laugh, frowning slightly. “Are you sure you’re okay? Your scent is off somehow, and I thought you said you hated sports. You haven’t taken your eyes off the game since it started.” Renjun wasn’t sure what was going on but he knew something was going on with Donghyuck. “Just admit it, soccer games are actually entertaining.” Renjun winked playfully and Donghyuck shook his head with a slight scoff. 

“I have no idea what’s going on down there. I know the players are trying to get the ball into the other teams net. But otherwise it’s just people running back and forth.” 

Renjun heard the sounds from the others in the stands and he turned to the field to see the two teams running towards their goal and he stood, watching in concern. The goalie managed to catch the ball, throwing it back. Renjun watched as Donghyuck stood to cheer along with the other fans at the save. There was definitely something going on with him. When Donghyuck’s scent seemed to brighten and turn almost sweet, Renjun raised an eyebrow. Donghyuck might try to deny whatever it was, but Renjun could tell - scents didn’t lie, and he was determined to figure out what exactly was going on.

The sound of cheering and the announcer calling Jeno’s name pulled Renjun from his thoughts and he jumped up again, cheering loudly. Jeno’s smile made him cheer even louder, loving the familiar softness in Jeno’s expression. Even if the team lost, Renjun was going to make Jeno celebrate with everyone because Renjun was so proud and completely in love, and he couldn’t wait to tell Jaemin about it too.

~*~

As soon as he saw Jeno leaving the locker rooms, Renjun ran over and threw his arms around his neck, jumping into his arms. “Oh my god, you were amazing! I knew you could do it!” He pulled back just enough to press his lips against Jeno’s. He smiled brightly and gently pushed Jeno’s hair back from his face. 

The quick and easy blush on Jeno’s face was one of the first things he had fallen for (along with his smile and the way his eyes seemed to smile as well), and Renjun’s smile softened as Jeno tried to duck his head. “It was more the _hyungs_ than me.”

Renjun frowned, pulling away slightly. “Don’t do that. You were just as important and amazing. You even scored two goals! It was your first game in a starting position and you’re a freshman. You are amazing, Jeno.”

Jeno’s blush deepened and he leaned in to press a soft kiss to Renjun’s lips. “Thank you, Junnie.” He wrapped his arms tightly around him, and Renjun leaned closer into the embrace. 

“There’s nothing to thank me for.” Renjun tightened his hold around Jeno with a smile. 

“Hey Junnie? Why is Donghyuck hugging _hyung_?”

Renjun pulled back from the hug, feeling a little embarrassed that he had forgotten about Donghyuck. He glanced around before seeing him wrapped in a hug with one of the other players on the team. “ _Hyung?_ ” Renjun turned back to Jeno in confusion.

“Yeah, he’s the captain of the team. I didn’t know they knew each other. Donghyuck always complained about athletes.” The confusion was evident on Jeno’s face as well.

“He was today too. He complained the whole time before the game started.” Renjun paused for a moment, turning back to look closer at the player Donghyuck was still currently wrapped up with. “That’s the one he asked about.”

“Asked about what?”

Renjun turned back to Jeno with a slight smile on his face. “Before the game Donghyuck asked if I knew who he was. Then he was acting weird the rest of the time.” He glanced back to where Donghyuck seemed to have finally gotten out of the hug before looking back at Jeno. “Do you know if he has a mate?”

“Who? _Hyung?_ ” Jeno turned to look at them as well before shaking his head. “I don’t think so. He’s never mentioned a mate and I’ve only seen his roommates at games. You don’t think?”

Renjun laughed softly and nodded. “I don’t know if it’s different for him, or if it’s even a real thing since I know a lot of the classes were wrong now, but I read that some omegas get very territorial when they first imprint. And Donghyuck was glaring murderously at a group of girls cheering for him.” Renjun smirked at Jeno. “I think Donghyuck imprinted with an athlete.”

Jeno smiled at Renjun. “He’ll never hear the end of this will he?” Renjun shook his head with a laugh. “At least his mate is a good person. He can stop being jealous too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> not what you all expected I'm sure :)
> 
> I'm not revealing who his mate is just yet - so feel free to continue guessing ... I love all your comments and guesses ... I'm going to pause in answering yes / no for your guesses - just to keep a little bit of surprise - there has been some interesting / good guesses and some that are a little farther out there - whether right or wrong will be revealed later (which I promise I've been working on)
> 
> I do hope you all enjoyed regardless ... feel free to rant in comments if you want :)


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so because of some outside factors - this story has evolved and shifted some ... however - this has been an original potential story progression that I had been writing as well as what had started months ago when this was to be a collab so I hope nobody is too shocked / disappointed ... however as the author i made the executive decision that some things needed to be changed / reworked and such - thus the long wait for the actual reveal ... so apologies for the wait and I hope you will still enjoy :)

The game ended with a win and Donghyuck was cheering along with everyone else in the stands. He might be in trouble with his voice teacher during lessons tomorrow, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. And he should definitely be able to get out of whatever punishments by explaining him imprinting. 

The players were making their way off the field and Renjun grabbed Donghyuck’s hand, his scent still bright. “Come on, we can go congratulate him. And you can ask about your little crush.” Renjun grinned at Donghyuck, but he just ignored it as they started to make their way out of the bleachers. “Jeno might even introduce you to him if you want.” 

Donghyuck shook his head with a frown. “I don’t have a crush on any of the players.” He didn’t know what excuse he could use that wouldn’t be a lie later on.

“If you say so. But I have to warn you, the post-game glow is wonderful, especially since we won.” Renjun smirked at him, keeping their hands held together as they made it towards the entrance / exit gates were and the group of people thickened around them and they were caught at a standstill, moving only a snail’s pace. He could still feel the excitement rolling off Renjun and he laughed. 

“You are so whipped.” Donghyuck shook his head with a grin. “All three of you are. It’s disgusting really. There should be rules about how cute someone can be. For everyone else’s safety.” Because he was pretty sure that some of the smiles during the game from his own mate had made breathing impossible for a while.

They made it through the gates and the crowds spread and thinned out again and Renjun pulled on Donghyuck’s hand. “Come on, the locker rooms are this way.” His pace speeding up slightly. 

When they rounded a corner he saw several members of the team coming out of a set of double doors. Donghyuck would never admit it, but his first look was to see if his mate had come out yet (which he hadn’t) and then to see if Jeno had.

It didn’t matter that he hadn’t seen Jeno walking out because suddenly Renjun dropped his hand and ran over to throw his arms around Jeno. Donghyuck laughed to himself. He was happy that his friend had such a good relationship. They had only met during one of the first days of classes, but Renjun quickly became one of his best friends.

His attention was pulled away from watching two of his best friends to where the doors had opened again. This time it was his mate and Donghyuck took a shaky breath when he felt his stomach do a slight flip at the way his mate’s expression changed when he saw him. Donghyuck started walking towards him with a soft smile, not really noticing anyone else.

When he stopped in front of him, Donghyuck had a moment to think of how much more attractive he was up close instead of across a soccer field. “Hi.” He was proud of himself for his voice not shaking or betraying how nervous he felt.

A small noise of shock slipped out as Donghyuck was pulled into a hug. Without having to think about it, he wrapped his arms around the other as well, burying his face into the crook of his neck, taking in the warm scent. He both felt and heard the laughter from his mate before he pulled back slightly from him, still lightly holding his arms around him. “Maybe we should actually introduce ourselves?”

Donghyuck saw the grin on his mate’s face and ducked his head and dropped his arms back to his sides, his cheeks flushing again. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. My name’s Lee Donghyuck.” 

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong. Besides, I’m the one who hugged you first.” Donghyuck felt a hand gently pulling his chin up to look him in the eyes. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Donghyuck. And even though the announcer spoiled it, I’m Nakamoto Yuta.”

The smile on his face sent warmth spreading through Donghyuck’s chest. “I didn’t notice the announcer.” His voice was soft with the slight embarrassment over having been so caught up that he didn’t notice anything else, and he smiled back at him.

Yuta laughed and Donghyuck ducked his head, nervously biting his bottom lip. He felt arms wrap back around him and he curled up against Yuta. He buried his face in the fabric of his hoodie, inhaling the scent again. He was pretty sure he might end up addicted to the scent, but he wasn’t going to stop himself.

“Cute.” Yuta’s voice was soft and full of affection. 

A slight whine escaped his mouth and Donghyuck let his fingers curl into the fabric of the hoodie. His scent made Donghyuck want to just wrap himself in its warmth and never let go. He felt Yuta lean in to press his own nose to Donghyuck’s neck. 

“Your scent is different, it’s-“

Donghyuck stiffened and pulled back slightly. “It’s not right for an omega. I’ve-“

His words were cut off by the feeling of Yuta pressing his lips softly against his own. It only lasted a moment, but Donghyuck could tell this was right. It felt right. When Yuta pulled away, Donghyuck dropped his eyes before he felt a hand tilting his head back up. 

“I was going to say that it’s wonderful. I love it, it’s so unique and I’m sure it fits you perfectly.” Donghyuck felt his face flush and wanted to curl back up against him and hide his face but then Yuta’s arms dropped with a slight frown. “Wait, what year are you? You aren’t-“

Donghyuck blinked before wrapping his arms around himself. Of course it couldn’t be as simple as he hoped. “I’m a freshman. Why? Is something wrong with that? My birthday was in June, I presented two years ago like normal. I’m not-“ Yuta ran a hand over his face and Donghyuck felt his heart drop and he wanted to disappear. 

“Johnny is going to kill me.”

Donghyuck blinked back the tears that had started to well up in his eyes before turned to Yuta with an eyebrow raised. “Wait, how do you know-“ He tilted his head in confusion. “Who do you mean? Johnny Seo?”

“He’s your cousin right? You’re Hyuckie? His baby cousin?” Donghyuck scoffed at being called ‘baby’ cousin. “Fuck.”

Donghyuck straightened with a frown, turning to Yuta with as harsh of a glare as he could. “First, Johnny won’t do anything to you because I’ll kick his ass first. Second, I’m not a baby so you can put that thought out of your head. Third, if you have a problem with any of it then just get lost before I-“

His words were cut off again by another soft press of lips against his own. He felt Yuta wrap an arm around him and pull him against his chest. After Yuta pulled back just slightly to look at him, Donghyuck felt his face flush again and Yuta chuckled softly. “Why would I have any problems with the things that make you who you are? I’m pretty sure you’re not a horrible person, or at least I hope I’m right.” Yuta’s smile softened and Donghyuck felt his heart flip. “I just asked because before he graduated, after you had presented, he threatened everyone on the team. I can see the similarities from all the things he showed us now.”

Donghyuck frowned slightly in confusion. “Why didn’t I meet you before? Johnny  _ hyung _ made me come to the finals last year. I should have seen you then. We would have already met, you didn’t - I mean - it wasn’t? You would have imprinted. I’ve heard of mates who imprinted at different times.””

Yuta shook his head with a small smile. “I wasn’t here last year. Family emergency. That’s why I haven’t graduated yet. So it wasn’t a one-sided imprinting.” His face dropped to a sadder frown. “One of my friends had that happen. It was painful to watch, so I can’t imagine how bad it was for him.”

Donghyuck smelled Yuta’s scent dropping and he gently leaned back against his chest, giving him a light squeeze. “What happened to him? A happy ending, I hope.”

Yuta nodded slightly. “It did, eventually. His mate was just scared and in denial. So the imprinting was rejected. But they managed to work things out. They aren’t the most public about their relationship, but when it’s just friends, they’re disgustingly cute together.”

Donghyuck nodded, leaning his head against Yuta’s shoulder, smiling to himself at the way Yuta’s scent was brightening. He pressed his face into the crook of Yuta’s neck and just let the scent surround him. While he had curled up with other alphas (aka Johnny and Jeno), it was nothing like how it felt now. 

He felt and heard Yuta’s soft laugh and pulled back slightly with a confused expression on his face. “You came to the game with Jeno’s mate, right? That’s who you were sitting with?”

“Yeah. Renjun dragged me here.” Donghyuck glanced down slightly with a scoff. “I’ll never hear the end of it now.” Yuta’s laugh made Donghyuck change to pouting at him. “You don’t know how bad he can be. Between him and Jaemin, there will be no end in sight.” 

“Well, as much as I would love to disagree with you, it looks like he’s already plotting.” Yuta laughed and Donghyuck groaned, dropping his head back to Yuta’s shoulder. “Let’s go get the initial awkwardness out of the way. Then we can go somewhere together to talk?”

Donghyuck smiled slightly with a nod. “You’re right. Postponing the inevitable will only give Renjun more time to come up with things to say. At least Jaemin isn’t here too, or there would be no escaping the interrogation.”

Yuta nodded, pulling back to just take his hand and intertwine their fingers. “Jaemin is Jeno’s other roommate, right?”

Donghyuck bit his bottom lip for a moment before shaking his head. “Yes, but they’re also all mated. The three of them. If you have an issue with that, well-” He paused, not wanting to think about having to push away his mate, now that he had actually found him. Because it wouldn’t matter who it was, he loved and supported his roommates / best friend. Even if they could be completely gross with their affection.

“Oh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” Yuta quickly shook his head. “There’s no issue with that. If they’re happy, it doesn’t matter to me.” He shrugged and Donghyuck caught him glancing over where Jeno and Renjun were standing before turning back to him with a smile. “I mean, one of my friends, the one I mentioned, his mate is the same sub-gender. That’s why his mate panicked. Because everyone is told that same sub-gender pairings aren’t really mates and are unnatural. I’m sure they say the same about a trio of mates too.”

“Yeah, they’ve gotten a lot of ignorant hate and such about it. Renjun had some issues with it at first, I think it was because growing up in his classes it was taught as being that way. But he’s gotten better about it now. And I don’t pity anyone who tries to cross him.” Donghyuck laughed with a small smile. He glanced over to see Renjun smirking at him and he sighed, turning back to Yuta. “I’ll try to make it as quick as we can?”

Yuta smiled and leaned in to press a light kiss to Donghyuck’s cheek. “It’s fine. I’m dreading what some of my friends are going to say. And at least with Jeno, I can threaten him with punishments at the next practice.”

Donghyuck laughed at the smirk on Yuta’s face before nodding and starting off to where Jeno and Renjun were standing. “I like the sound of that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> so what did you all think of the reveal of Donghyuck's mate? :) 
> 
> your guesses and such were all so amusing and I loved reading all your comments / such to see your theories and such! ... a few of you did guess right - so as promised in the first chapter - let me know anything you'd like written (I'm super multifandom - so it doesn't even have to necessarily be nct)
> 
> I also have some other stories in the works (both in this au and in others / with other groups) - so keep an eye out for that?


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter is a shorter one - but I wanted to post something - but I didn't want to get into both sets of the roommate introductions ... and I thought everyone could use a little surprise :)
> 
> [ also - I have to say again - I adore the friendship between Renjun and Donghyuck (both in reality and in the au's) ... they're hilarious ... so there's definitely more of that to be seen ]

Donghyuck bit his lip as they walked back towards where Renjun and Jeno were standing. He could see the smirk on Renjun’s face from here and he dreaded what was to come. He only hoped Jeno could do something to help keep Renjun from going too overboard. Luckily Jaemin wasn’t with them or there would be no stopping them. 

“So you must be Yuta  _ hyung _ .” The smirk was evident in Renjun’s voice and his scent was bright. “Jeno has told me some about you, but it appears he forgot a few things.” He tilted his head to very pointedly look down at where Yuta had Donghyuck’s hand in his. 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes with a groan. “Oh stop it, Jun.” He turned to Jeno with a frown. “Can you please try to help? I don’t want either of your mates to run him off, and we both know Jaemin is going to be a terror.”

Yuta laughed from Donghyuck’s side and he turned to see him grinning at the other pair. “I like this one. You’re Renjun, then?” The flush on Jeno’s face made both Donghyuck and Yuta laugh. “You like the feisty ones, Jeno? Hyuckkie says your other mate is even worse.”

Renjun’s laugh was loud as he nodded, his scent brightened farther, and Jeno’s own scent warmed as well in response. “If Hyuck is scared of me, then it will be even more fun to be there when you meet Min.”

Donghyuck shook his head. “No, you two don’t get to gang up against him. I didn’t torment you when the other two brought you back the first day. Leave him alone. Go do whatever it is you do after a game.” He frowned and turned back to Yuta. “Okay, you’ve met Jun.” 

“Go have fun getting to know each other. I’m happy for you both.” Jeno’s voice held a smile as well and Donghyuck turned back to him. 

“He’s the only decent one of you three. And that’s why Jeno’s my favorite.”

Jeno shook his head with a laugh. “No, I don’t want to have extra drills.”

Yuta’s laugh was loud and Donghyuck frowned. “So all of my friends are betraying me?” 

“Not all of them. Jaemin hasn’t met him yet.” Renjun’s voice was teasing and his scent held the same teasing tint. “I think the team’s win deserves a celebratory meal. Wouldn’t you say? I know the four of us have the weekend free. What about you,  _ hyung _ ? There’s a great hot pot restaurant in town.”

Yuta laughed and wrapped his arms around Donghyuck, pulling him against him and resting his chin on his shoulder. “I know the place. Kun loves it, we go there all the time.” 

Renjun’s smile was plotting, and Donghyuck frowned at him. “So are you free this weekend? It’s only fair that you meet Jaemin too. It can be a double date.”

“Sure. It sounds fun. After all, I’ll be seeing a lot more of you three I’m sure.” 

“So it’s all settled, we’re all going out to eat this weekend. Now I think it’s time that we all leave. Go do whatever you do somewhere else. I’m done with you.” Donghyuck frowned, a pout in his voice that made Renjun laugh.

“You have no room to complain. I’m sure you’ll be just as bad.  _ Hyung  _ can’t even keep his hands to himself.” Donghyuck glared at Renjun’s smirk. “Admit it, you’re going to be just as bad as Jaemin.”

Donghyuck scoffed. “Nobody can be as bad as Jaemin.” 

“Let’s go, Junnie. Let them spend some time together.” Jeno wrapped an arm around Renjun’s waist, leaning in to press a kiss to Renjun’s cheek. “I’m really happy for you, Hyuck. And you too,  _ hyung _ .”

“Thanks Jeno. But don’t think that will get you out of training tomorrow.” Yuta chuckled softly from behind Donghyuck. “It was nice finally meeting you, Renjun.” Donghyuck leaned back against Yuta, his arms tightening slightly around him. 

“I’m glad Hyuck finally met his mate. Although, if you hurt him, I will make sure you regret it.” Renjun’s threat probably would have been more effective if he hadn’t been leaning against Jeno resting his head on his shoulder. 

Donghyuck laughed and shook his head. “Yes yes, you’ve done the overprotective threats now go away.” He unconsciously pouted. “I just met him.”

Jeno and Renjun both laughed before Jeno pulled Renjun off in the direction of their dorm with a wave. “Bye, have fun.”

The teasing tone in Jeno’s voice made Donghyuck roll his eyes before he felt Yuta pull back slightly to lightly kiss his cheek. “We can go for a walk, maybe get some coffee.” Yuta’s voice was soft as he spoke in Donghyuck’s ear and he shivered slightly which caused Yuta to chuckle softly. “Are you chilly, Hyuck?”

Donghyuck huffed and tried to pull away from him. “Of course I am. Jun didn’t say we were going to be sitting outside for hours. I would have worn a better jacket.” He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to ignore the way Yuta’s scent was warming. 

“And the jacket issue is the only reason you’re shivering?” Yuta’s voice was teasing and his scent had warmed again. All Donghyuck wanted at the moment was to turn and wrap himself around Yuta and bury his face in Yuta’s neck. 

Donghyuck let out a small whine and turned to try and glare at Yuta. “You’re being mean.”

Yuta’s laugh was bright and Donghyuck almost gave in. “I’m sorry, Hyuck.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Donghyuck’s cheek. “Let’s go get something warm to drink.” Yuta pulled away and Donghyuck frowned for a moment before Yuta pulled his hoodie off and put it on Donghyuck. “There, hopefully that will help.”

Donghyuck’s face flushed slightly before frowning. “But now you’re going to be cold. You might get sick. You should take it back. I’ll be fine.” He started trying to pull the hoodie off before Yuta pulled him against his side.

“We can walk like this. I’ll be warm enough. Besides, I know a really great cafe not far from here. Their hot chocolate is amazing.” Yuta started walking off in what Donghyuck assumed was the direction of the cafe, pulling him along. “We can get a cup and just sit and talk for awhile. Unless you have something you need to do?”

Yuta’s voice held a hint of insecurity and Donghyuck softened, leaning his head against Yuta’s shoulder. “Nope. I’m all yours.” His face blushed slightly at the words and their double meaning.

“Cute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> and in the next chapter - the meetings of the other side! heh
> 
> I hope you're all staying safe and healthy - please be careful :)
> 
> and as always - I love hearing what you guys think (seriously - the comments make my day) so feel free to let me know anything - or if you have any questions / such


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to make up for the short chapter from yesterday - here's another chapter already! :) ... and this one is a longer one 
> 
> I had originally planned on combining this chapter and the things from the next chapter into just one, but this one got a little long (there's some backstory in this one which I got a little carried away with - oops) ... but I'm working on the other part to this one as well so hopefully it shouldn't take too long to update with

Donghyuck tried not to listen in as Yuta answered his phone after replying that it was one of his roommates. They moved out of line and sat at one of the tables in the cafe so he could answer the call without holding up the line or being rude.

“Where are you? Jae said the game ended a while before he got back, and that you ran out of the locker rooms. You didn’t say you had plans. Kun made dinner.”

Donghyuck grinned at the small smile on Yuta’s face as he seemed to be almost nervous. It was cute, and Donghyuck had to hide a chuckle. 

“I’m sorry, Tae. I just, uhm, something came up.”

There was noise from the other side of the call and Donghyuck glanced at Yuta’s face to see if he should be worried before Yuta’s roommate spoke again. “Oh my god, are you okay? Did you get hurt? Where are you?”

Yuta’s laugh was soft and even without the way his scent changed, Donghyuck could tell they were close. “I’m fine, don’t worry. It was-” Yuta turned back to him with another nervous smile. “Can you add another spot for dinner?” Donghyuck chuckled softly and nodded at the unspoken invite.

“Of course, I’m sure Kun cooked enough. But why do we need another spot? They don’t have any allergies or any specific preferences? We don’t have any soda, it was going to just be water. Do I need to run to the store? Or get Jae to go while I help Kun?”

“Stop worrying, it isn’t something to stress out over. You’re already going to be bald by the time you’re 30 if you don’t stop dyeing your hair.” Yuta’s scent was even brighter and Donghyuck couldn’t resist the urge to lean his head against Yuta’s shoulder, pressing his nose into the crook of Yuta’s neck, closing his eyes with a smile as he felt Yuta’s arm that wasn’t holding the phone wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer against his side. 

“I don’t dye it that often.”

There was a fainter sound of someone in the background that Donghyuck couldn’t hear completely before Yuta laughed. “Are you going to argue with your mate? Because I don’t see that ending well for you.”

“He’s allowed to say things like that, you’re not.” Yuta laughed again and Donghyuck muffled a laugh in Yuta’s shoulder. “But you didn’t answer my question. Who else is coming over? Do we know them?”

“No, it’s- I met my mate.”

Yuta’s voice was soft and Donghyuck felt his face flush. It was one thing to introduce Yuta to his roommates and Renjun, but another thing to meet Yuta’s roommates who had been with him for years. 

Suddenly a loud screaming noise came through the phone and Donghyuck jumped back, blinking at the phone and Yuta only laughed loudly. Yuta glanced down at him and Donghyuck raised an eyebrow. “Taeyong seems excited.”

“Where are you? How long will it be for you to get here? The dorm is a mess. I hope you’re not going to take them into your room. I know you haven’t washed laundry in almost two weeks.”

Donghyuck laughed loudly at both the words from Yuta’s roommate and the groan from Yuta himself. “Tae, you’re going to give him the wrong impression. He can hear you.”

There was a laugh from the other side of the call and Donghyuck smiled and he chuckled along. “It’s not the wrong impression if it’s the truth. But seriously, how long will you be out?” There was a muffled noise from the call (which Donghyuck assumed was someone else saying something). “Kun says the food will be done in less than half an hour. So, you have that long to get here. And I only have that long to try and make this apartment presentable. So I am hanging up on you. Be safe. I can’t wait to meet you, Yuta’s mate!”

Before either Donghyuck or Yuta could answer, the call ended and Yuta laughed again. “Please don’t let his panicking make you think the worst, he’s just a neat freak. And it’s even worse when we have company over.”

Donghyuck laughed and shook his head. “You haven’t seen our dorm yet. Besides, you’re all seniors, right? So of course you’ll be a lot busier and have less time to clean.”

“Kun and I are seniors, Jaehyun is a junior, and Taeyong is technically a first year grad student along with being RA.” 

“So a lot busier then.” Donghyuck laughed before biting his lip nervously. “Tell me a little about them? Just so I don’t say or do the wrong thing? Plus, you are obviously very fond of them.”

Yuta laughed softly with a smile and nod. “We’ve been together pretty much since the start of college. Taeyong and I were in the same freshman orientation group. He was smaller back then, and as an omega ... well there were some less than friendly people.” 

Donghyuck instantly felt sympathy and a similarity with the older omega. He knew from experience how some people could be less than kind. Yuta moved and pulled Donghyuck’s hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay. Nobody can mess with him now. And I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Yuta pressed a light kiss to his cheek and Donghyuck had to mentally push back the tears that threatened to well up. Damn him for being a softie.

“Taeyong met Kun completely by accident. Their story is really cute. I’ll let them tell you later. They both get so embarrassed and flustered, it’s hilarious.” Yuta laughed softly before sighing. “Of course, aside from their initial meeting, it wasn’t pretty for a while. Kun is an omega as well. And where he came from in China, same-subgender couples were seen as unnatural and invalid. So he panicked.”

Yuta’s scent had soured and Donghyuck leaned closer, giving his hand a squeeze before thinking to himself. “Shitty prejudices must be a thing in China.”

“What?”

Donghyuck didn’t realize he had spoken aloud and loud enough for Yuta to hear him. “Renjun is from China as well. Apparently they are very strict on trio mating as well. He’s gotten past a lot of it, but he sometimes still has his doubts and will regress a little. Thankfully Jeno is stubborn and Jaemin is the clingiest and most affectionate human being alive.”

Yuta nodded with a small hum. “Ah. Maybe we should introduce the two of them? It might be nice for them to have someone they can relate to.” 

Donghyuck nodded, that could definitely be a good idea. He frowned slightly, turning back to Yuta. “They’re the friends you mentioned? The ones with the rejected imprinting?”

“Mhm. Taeyong knew right away and he couldn’t care less about societal rules or such, so he tried to befriend Kun at first, although it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he had fallen hard. But Kun panicked and disappeared. Nobody knew where he was or what he was doing.” He sighed and ducked his head, his scent souring again, and Donghyuck wanted to do anything to make him feel better again. “I don’t know if you’ve seen what happens to mates that are separated, but it’s not good. And I think it was even worse for Taeyong because Kun had rejected the imprint and it was broken slightly.”

“That sounds terrible.” Donghyuck’s voice was soft, his heart aching for this person he hadn’t even met yet. “But it sorted itself out, right? You said they fixed things and they’re together now?”

Yuta nodded. “They did. It took almost half a semester before things came back around. Kun’s roommate at the time, Ten, cornered us at lunch one day and threatened severe bodily harm if they didn’t fix things.” He chuckled softly. “Renjun reminds me of him, actually. They’re both small and feisty, and violently protective of their friends.” 

Donghyuck laughed with a nod. “Renjun may be the smallest in his relationship, but he is the one I would make sure not to cross. I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone who hurt someone close to him ended up completely destroyed. In one way or another.”

“He definitely seemed like it.” Yuta smiled before continuing. “Well, when Ten explained how badly Kun was taking the forced separation, Taeyong had a bit of a panic attack. It was scary to watch, and it hurt. So then Ten started to explain where to find Kun throughout the day, but he didn’t get to finish because Taeyong had run off after Ten said where he was at the moment.” A small huff of laughter escaped as he shook his head. “It didn’t surprise me, though.”

“And he found him? They made up?” Donghyuck felt caught up in the story, and just hearing the pain the other two had gone through was making his chest squeeze.

“Yeah. Taeyong is a stubborn one too. He ran halfway across campus to the music building and, from what another friend of mine said, slammed into every practice room until he found the one Kun was using. It was all very dramatic and something that would make perfect sense in a cheesy rom-com movie.” Donghyuck couldn’t contain the small laugh. “But Taeyong found Kun. I don’t know what exactly happened or how they sorted things out. Taeyong didn’t answer any texts or calls for hours after he ran off, and Ten said Kun wasn’t answering either. Regardless of how it happened, they came to an agreement to at least test how things were between them.” Yuta smiled. “Taeyong didn’t make it through their second date before he confessed that he loved him. Kun was a little more reserved, but after getting to know him, that’s just his personality. By the end of the semester they were actually together, and disgustingly cute.”

Donghyuck laughed with a relieved smile. He loved happy endings. Especially when it came to the people around him. And it was obvious how much Yuta cared for Taeyong, so he was glad it had worked out for him.

Yuta’s phone went off with a text and he jumped before turning back to Donghyuck. “We lost track of time. That was Kun. Apparently he makes no promises of saving any food for us if we aren’t there in ten minutes.” Donghyuck laughed loudly, causing Yuta to laugh as well. “Luckily the dorm isn’t too far from here. But we should really leave now.”

Donghyuck stood, keeping his hand in Yuta’s with a smile as they walked out of the cafe, ignoring the slightly irritated look from the barista.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> so there wasn't the actual meeting with Yuta's roommates, but that comes in the next chapter ...
> 
> I hope you are all enjoying this! feel free to let me know whatever you think (or even if you just want to chatter about whatever) - I love reading comments :)
> 
> I hope you're staying safe and healthy and I hope you are all having a good day / night! :)


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here with have another side of the roommate meetings :) ... I hope you enjoy - this chapter ended up running off with me again so apologies - but hopefully a lengthy chapter will be a good surprise?

Donghyuck took a deep breath outside the door to the dorm, ignoring the chuckle from Yuta. He could smell Yuta’s scent grow stronger and Donghyuck leaned in to press his face into the crook of his neck for just a moment. 

“You don’t need to be worried. They’re going to love you, trust me. I’d only be worried about Taeyong trying to keep you.” Yuta’s laugh was soft as his scent brightened again and Donghyuck relaxed a little.

When Yuta opened the door, a wave of new scents filtered out and Donghyuck took a moment to try and let himself get more accustomed to them. He felt Yuta give his hand a light squeeze and he smiled over at him. 

“Yuta! Stop hiding your mate and get in here!” A voice called from inside the dorm before another person walked around the corner into the entryway with a smile. “Come on, Yuta, don’t just stand there.” 

The other’s scent of caramel seemed to feel happy, and it helped Donghyuck relax more. He stepped out from where he had been standing almost behind Yuta. “Hello. I’m Lee Donghyuck.” The caramel scent sweetened again and Donghyuck felt a smile starting on his face.

“You’re adorable. Come in. I’m Taeyong, but you can just call me  _ hyung _ .” Donghyuck chuckled at the exaggerated groan from Yuta.

“You are not going to steal him. You have your own mate, I refuse to let you take mine.”

Donghyuck laughed at the almost childish frown on Yuta’s face. Taeyong seemed to find it amusing as well as he laughed along. “I would never leave Kun. But I never said I wouldn’t adopt another child.”

Yuta laughed and shook his head, pulling Donghyuck close, wrapping his arms around him. “I don’t think I want you to talk about my mate as your child. You already have Jisungie.”

“Yongie, you can’t adopt Yuta’s mate. That would make Yuta your son-in-law.” Another person walked in, wrapping an arm around Taeyong’s waist, and Donghyuck assumed this was Kun. “I’m not old enough to have a child imprinting and leaving the nest. So just stick with Sungie.” Donghyuck watched as he ignored the pout from Taeyong with a laugh before pressing a kiss to his cheek and turning back to him with a smile. “I’m Kun. I’m sorry he ambushed you before you could get fully into the dorm.” The scent from him was less obvious, but Donghyuck smiled as he recognised the subtle scent of apple pie.

“I’m Lee Donghyuck.” He smiled at both of the older omegas. “Your scents match perfectly. I can tell how strong your connection is. I hope that’s not too forward.” He flushed slightly, leaning back against Yuta, suddenly feeling more embarrassed again. 

“I love him already. He’s too good for you.”

Donghyuck felt his face flush at the words from Taeyong, a slight embarrassed whine threatening to spill out. Yuta’s scent seemed to grow stronger and he let himself try to soak up the comfort. He really didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of any of Yuta’s roommates. It was almost as nerve-wracking as if he was actually meeting parents, because he could tell that Yuta was very close to them and considered them family.

Luckily Kun must have noticed Donghyuck’s nervousness and pulled back from Taeyong with a smile. “Okay, let’s go eat before the food gets cold.” He started to walk farther into the dorm before turning back to the others. “Yong, can you get Jae? And set the table, Yuta?” He gave Donghyuck a smile. “Just make yourself at home, Donghyuck. The bathroom is right through there, the door is open, so you can wash your hands.”

“Yes, mom.” Yuta teased and Donghyuck laughed at the brightness of his scent. As he walked to the door Kun had pointed out as the bathroom, his reflection caught his attention and he pressed a hand to his cheeks that were flushed slightly. He nervously ran a hand through his hair before quickly washing his hands. 

When Donghyuck walked back out into the main part of the dorm, he noticed another person standing in the main room and paused at the door. The other’s scent was obviously alpha and very strong. He had to mentally remind himself that he wasn’t in high school anymore, that he could protect himself, that he had a mate.

His scent must have soured slightly because Yuta rushed out and hurried to stand in front of Donghyuck, gently taking a hand in his. “Hyuckie? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Donghyuck took a shaky breath, trying to use Yuta’s scent to help calm himself down, before shaking his head. “I’m fine. It was nothing.”

It was obvious that Yuta didn’t completely believe him, but he seemed to understand it wasn’t something he wanted to talk about. So he just pulled Donghyuck into a hug, strengthening his scent as well. Donghyuck felt his eyes want to water and he bit his lip, trying to push it down. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat from behind Yuta made Donghyuck jump and he pulled back slightly. “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t startle you? Or upset you?” The other alpha’s voice was soft and he was obviously trying to keep from upsetting Donghyuck.

“It’s not you, I’m sorry. I just-” Donghyuck trailed off, not sure how to answer as he was still a little uncomfortable with the new alpha in the room. 

The other’s face dropped slightly as he nodded. “Bad experience with other alphas? It’s okay. Well, not okay that you had them, I mean, but I understand. I’m Jaehyun. I’ll try to be more careful.”

Donghyuck wasn’t sure what to do as he could tell the other alpha’s scent was dropping and Yuta’s scent seemed to spike at the suggestion of him having bad experiences with other alphas. It was the truth, but he didn’t want to dwell on that or cause any issues. Hopefully he could get past the issue with Jaehyun’s scent, especially as he shared a room with Yuta.

Taeyong walked into the room and crossed his arms with a frown, pulling a hint of a smile from Donghyuck. “Okay, my wonderful mate spent hours working in the kitchen to make a nice meal for you, and you ungrateful kids are letting the food get cold. Let’s eat.” Taeyong walked over to where Donghyuck had managed to pull away from Yuta to stand on his own again. “Come on, you’re sitting next to me.” 

There was no arguing with Taeyong as he dragged Donghyuck into the tiny dining alcove tucked beside the small kitchen area. Donghyuck kept a grasp on Yuta’s hand and pulled him along as well, not wanting to be clingy but also not completely comfortable without the reassurance. They sat down at the small table with Donghyuck between Taeyong and Yuta, while Kun sat beside Taeyong and Jaehyun took the seat farthest from Donghyuck. 

Kun passed around the food, filling plates, and Donghyuck had to admit he was impressed. The food looked (and smelled) amazing. And Taeyong had been right to say that there would be no issue adding another person to the meal. As Kun was passing out plates, Donghyuck smiled to himself seeing the soft look on Taeyong’s face when he looked at his mate. They really seemed to fit together, and it made Donghyuck happy that things had worked out for them. 

“So, tell us about yourself, Donghyuck. We know nothing about you, and I’m sure Yuta has already shared some things about us with you.” Taeyong’s voice was light, the caramel scent managing to help calm Donghyuck down even more somehow.

“He didn’t really tell me much, and nothing bad about any of you. It’s way too obvious how much he cares about you three.” Donghyuck let out a small laugh at the indignant noise from Yuta. “As for me, I don’t really know what to say. I’m a freshman. I’m in the music department, I haven’t decided which section specifically yet.”

“Kun is in the music department too!” Taeyong’s voice was excited and Donghyuck watched as Kun chuckled softly, shaking his head. “He’s doing production and composition. He has an amazing singing voice too.”

“Stop overselling me, Yongie. You’re biased.” Kun’s face had started to flush slightly and Donghyuck smiled at the couple. “There’s a reason I’m focusing behind the scenes.”

“I’m not overselling you. You don’t have enough confidence in yourself. You are amazing.” Taeyong frowned at Kun, although this seemed like a long-standing disagreement between the two of them, and from the way the other two didn’t seem to react, it was even more obvious it was a common thing between the two of them. 

“Okay, enough lovey dovey. Taeyongie  _ hyung _ , we get it, you’re proud of your mate. Kun  _ hyung _ , you are entirely too humble. Now, how about we eat. We don’t want to scare away Yuta  _ hyung _ ’s mate.” Jaehyun’s voice was teasing and Donghyuck stifled a soft laugh. 

“I won’t let you scare him off. He’s not going anywhere.” Yuta grinned at Jaehyun before he turned to wink at Donghyuck, which caused him to blush slightly with a laugh.

“I don’t know. They won’t scare me off, but I can think of several places I could go.” Donghyuck grinned as Yuta frowned and Taeyong laughed. “But I won’t. Besides, Kun  _ hyung _ cooks amazing food.”

Donghyuck watched as Kun blushed again, ducking his head. “Let’s just eat.” Donghyuck grinned as Kun reached to put more food onto his plate. 

It was easy to tell how close everyone was just from the feel of the meal, and that combined with the actual food made Donghyuck relax and he felt more at home, even with the rocky start with Jaehyun. He smiled to himself when Yuta wrapped an arm around him and rested his chin on his shoulder. It was a feeling he could get used to, and he felt sure he would end up having many more meals with Yuta’s roommates. And he was more than okay with that thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> I'm sorry for the slightly abrupt / awkward ending - I felt it was already getting super long and I honestly had no real idea how to end this bit ... the next chapter will be the much anticipated meeting with Jaemin :)
> 
> and am I slightly projecting my love and support for Kun by having every character praise and love him? perhaps ... does he deserve it? **ABSOLUTELY!!!** heh
> 
> and I promise - I don't hate Jaehyun (he's one of my biases in the group) ... there's just some bits of Donghyuck's backstory that explains things (and has been hinted at throughout the whole series) ... let me know if you want to know more about it - if you want a separate story or just an abbreviated explanation / etc
> 
> your comments mean the world to me and I love hearing everything you all think ... you're more than welcome to ramble about the story / characters / relationships / etc or even just ramble about anything else on your minds - I promise, I love talking with everyone of you :)
> 
> I hope you are all staying safe and healthy in this crazy time


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter got a little out of hand as well (can you tell that's something that happens a lot with me? heh) - so the meeting with Yuta and the other '00 line is going to be split into two chapters ... 
> 
> I'm sorry it's taken a little longer for this update and they're not regular updates - I've been working two jobs (and having to do some other adulting things) and that can sometimes mean very little time for anything else ... I'm also in the process of writing a few other things - including another part for this series which will (hopefully) only be a one-shot thing so it won't leave you hanging like this mess has 
> 
> I hope you're all still enjoying this and it's not getting boring / annoying with it rambling on ... I think the next chapter ~~(might)~~ should be the last of this part - since the whole premise of this story in the series was Hyuckie getting a mate :)

Donghyuck sighed as he walked out of his bedroom, carrying two shirts. He had been trying not to get nervous about the lunch date with Yuta and the other three, but he couldn’t stop the slight nervous feeling in his stomach. “Jun, which-”

Before he could finish his question, Jaemin jumped up and ran over, practically tackling him. “I can’t believe they met your mate before me! I thought we were friends!”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes at Jaemin’s overdramatics, while Renjun only laughed with a smirk. “Too bad, I’m obviously more important.” Donghyuck held out the two shirts to Renjun, with a questioning look. “The dark red one. It makes your skin’s glow stand out more. Wear it with the leather jacket your cousin gave you and the black jeans.” Renjun gave him a smirk. “You’re welcome.”

Playfully blowing Renjun a kiss, Donghyuck disentangled Jaemin from his arm and walked back into his bedroom to finish getting ready. He didn’t want to look too overdressed, and he had even been debating on wearing a little bit of makeup that he had bought for special occasions, but he didn’t want to seem too out of place. They were only going to a restaurant they had been to plenty of times before, and it was the middle of the day. So instead he just got dressed with the outfit Renjun had helped suggest and only added the tiniest hint of powder to his eyes.

He walked back out into the main room and frowned slightly. “Jaemin, get off Jun and go put some clothes on. If you’re not ready in the next five minutes, I will walk out of here and leave your ass. Then you’ll never meet Yuta  _ hyung _ .”

Jaemin whined again before standing and walking into his room, grumbling under his breath. When the bedroom door closed, both Renjun and Donghyuck burst out laughing. Donghyuck walked over and flopped on the couch beside Renjun with a grin. “You’re welcome.”

Renjun laughed before dropping his phone into his lap. “You know he’s not going to stop pestering you. I actually feel a little bit sorry for  _ hyung _ . Especially if you keep antagonizing Nana.”

Donghyuck scoffed with a shrug. “I wasn’t lying when I said I would leave him. But anyways, where’s the other one?” He hadn’t seen Jeno all morning and he didn’t want to have to wait around and be late.

“His boss called him in at the last minute. Apparently one of his coworkers went a little too wild for a Friday night. He said he’ll meet us at the restaurant.” Renjun shrugged before smirking at him. “You’re looking a little extra done up today. You’re nervous, don’t try to deny it, your scent is all over the place.”

Donghyuck huffed before frowning at Renjun. “Oh shut up, I remember a certain person calling and insisting I come help pick out their outfit for the first actual date with their mates.”

Before Renjun could reply, Jaemin rushed out of his bedroom with a frown. “I need more than five minutes, Hyuck. You can’t expect me to meet your mate looking like I just rolled out of bed.”

Renjun laughed and stood, walking over to Jaemin. “You look fine. Besides, Jeno is coming straight from work. Hyuck imprinted during a soccer game. That’s not exactly the most put together look. And it was super cold so Hyuck looked ridiculous too.”

“Shut up. It’s your fault for not telling me we were going to a soccer game. I would have worn an actual coat.” Donghyuck frowned and stood. “But come on, let’s go. Nana you look fine. Besides, you’re just meeting him not trying to steal him. You have two mates already, don’t be greedy.”

Jaemin huffed and shook his head. “I’m not trying to steal him. I don’t need any more. I have the perfect mates.” Donghyuck rolled his eyes as Jaemin draped himself over Renjun. 

“Get off me.” Renjun huffed and shoved Jaemin, although it was obvious from his scent that he was secretly enjoying it. “Come on and let’s go. Do you want to be late?”

Donghyuck laughed at the pout on Jaemin’s face. “You’re not getting any extra time. Now let’s go.” He started towards the door, stepping into his room and grabbing his jacket from the desk where he had tossed it. 

~*~

Donghyuck sighed when they reached the restaurant, smiling at the sight of Yuta standing outside waiting on them. Jaemin had been mercilessly teasing him the whole way to the restaurant, and Donghyuck wasn’t sure if he wanted to let Jaemin meet him. 

Donghyuck hurried over and leaned into the hug, ignoring the laugh from Jaemin. He buried his face into the crook of Yuta’s neck, inhaling his scent with a slight smile. He felt Yuta’s arms tighten in return and he closed his eyes for a moment before pulling back slightly, still resting his head against Yuta’s shoulder.

“So you are the mysterious mate.” Donghyuck could hear the smirk in Jaemin’s voice and he groaned slightly. “It’s a travesty that Junnie got to meet you first and I am personally offended.” Jaemin’s scent had been stronger the whole way over and it was something Donghyuck had learned early on in the semester that it was a sign he was worrying. Even if he might try to hide it or play it off, he knew just how overprotective Jaemin could be. 

“This again?” Donghyuck sighed as he pulled away to stand beside Yuta. “Renjun was at the game when it happened. Anyways, Jeno technically knew him first.”

“My own two mates, betraying me like that! I might have expected such treachery from you, but you’ve pulled the loves of my life into your evil schemes as well.” 

Yuta’s laugh was loud from beside Donghyuck and he could hear Renjun’s sigh. “You weren’t exaggerating, Hyuckie. Jeno does have a thing for fiesty and dramatic ones.” 

“It’s because he’s so boring.” Donghyuck smiled at the sound of Yuta’s laugh again, leaning closer to him. Yuta’s scent was warm and it was easy to tell he was happy and amused, even without the obvious laughing.

“So, you are the infamous Jaemin I’ve heard about.” Yuta’s smile could be heard in his voice and Donghyuck couldn’t stop his own smile from spreading across his face. “I don’t know why everyone was so worried about meeting you. If I can be friends with Taeyong for five years, and have lived with him for three of them, you’re nothing to be scared of.”

Jaemin gasped and turned to Donghyuck with a hurt expression, although his scent remained sweet. “You were going to not introduce me to your mate? And I thought we were friends.” Jaemin’s pout made Donghyuck burst out laughing. “I was the first to introduce you to Junnie before Jeno did.”

“Because you were practically attached to him and hadn’t let go since we met him.” Jeno’s voice was teasing as he walked up, joining them. “I didn’t have a chance to.” Jeno looked a little tired, but his smile and scent were both warm and fond as he wrapped an arm around Jaemin on the other side from Renjun. He pressed a kiss to Jaemin’s cheek before turning back to Donghyuck and Yuta. “I’m sorry I’m late. I wasn’t supposed to work this morning, or stay as late, but my coworkers are the partying type, despite being upperclassmen.”

“It’s okay, Hyuck texted me. We weren’t waiting long anyways.” Yuta laughed softly. “Partying on a Friday night though, they must be juniors.”

Jeno shook his head with a grin. “Nope, business majors.”

Yuta laughed loudly with a nod. “That explains it.”

“I resent that comment.” Renjun’s indignant grumble only made the other’s laugh.

Jeno moved to try and kiss Renjun on the cheek but he moved away, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown. “We all know that’s not your real major, Junnie. I’m sure Chenle’s parents will give up after this year. If anything, Chenle will just ask and they’ll agree to anything.”

Donghyuck could smell Renjun’s scent souring slightly, and he jumped in with a loud clap, knowing that the whole situation was something that Renjun was very sensitive about. “We’re here to eat, and I’m hungry so let’s go inside.” He sent a small smile to Renjun before turning to the restaurant’s entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> I hope you enjoyed ... (and yes - I had to throw in a little angst / drama in there at the end, I love torturing characters heh - feel free to guess / comment / ask what you think about it and why) ... you're always welcome to comment about anything and everything - your comments seriously make my day :)
> 
> be safe and take care of yourselves ... and I hope you're all having a good day / night! :)


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is it, the end of this portion of the series (don't worry - I'm not abandoning the characters / relationships - it's a series for a reason heh - I'm already working on other pieces for the series that you can look forward to) ... also - this portion ran away from me so it's a longer one - hopefully it's not annoying / boring / etc ... 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this story (and the rest of the series) 
> 
> thank you all so much for reading / commenting / kudos 🥰

Donghyuck shook his head as Jaemin asked Yuta another ridiculous question. He turned to Renjun with a frown. “Can you control him?” Yuta laughed, shaking his head at whatever Jeno had added. Donghyuck could tell that Renjun was still a little upset at Jeno’s comments from outside, his scent had been tinged with a slight heaviness when normally it was much lighter. He had even subtly pulled Jaemin to sit on the other side of him, effectively pushing Jeno away.

Renjun scoffed. “Nobody can control Nana. I have two idiots for mates.” He didn’t look at either of the others as he took another bite of the plate in front of him.

Jeno’s scent dropped again, taking on an almost burnt tone and Donghyuck bit his lip, trying to breathe past the change in scents. Jaemin took the moment to pout at Renjun, moving to drape himself over Renjun again, starting to act cute again. “Junnie, you still love us though, right? I love youuu.” He pressed an exaggerated kiss on Renjun’s cheek, causing Yuta to laugh as Renjun pushed Jaemin off.

“Get off me, you giant baby.” Renjun grumbled at Jaemin, but Donghyuck could tell a slight lightening of his scent and felt a little bit of relief. “You wanted to meet Hyuck’s mate so badly, go back to interrogating him.” Renjun tried to push Jaemin off again, but gave up with a sigh as Jaemin kept his head on his shoulder.

“White is a perfectly acceptable answer to your favorite color,  _ hyung _ . But you seem like yellow, it fits you. Hyuck, you’ve imprinted with a sunshine lover. Guess it’s fitting with your nickname.” Jaemin’s voice was teasing and Donghyuck rolled his eyes at the smirk.

“Shut up, Nana. Taeillie  _ hyung _ started that when I was still in high school before I had even presented.”

Jaemin just laughed at the glare Donghyuck threw his way. Donghyuck would have thrown something else, but he didn’t want to risk getting thrown out and/or banned from the restaurant. Especially since it was Renjun’s favorite. 

Yuta turned to Donghyuck with a smile. “What’s your nickname?” Donghyuck shook his head but Yuta only leaned closer, his smile growing wider.

“Full Sun.” Jeno’s voice was tinted with barely contained laughter and Donghyuck turned to frown at him. “Also something else about Hyuck. He sometimes talks in his sleep.”

Donghyuck glared at Jeno. “Jeno! Stop spilling everything!” Yuta just laughed and wrapped his arms around Donghyuck, resting his chin on his shoulder.

A small scoff from Renjun caught Donghyuck’s attention before Renjun shoved Jaemin again. “Get off me. I need the restroom.” Jaemin pressed another kiss to his cheek as Renjun groaned and pushed him off to stand and walk towards the back of the restaurant.

With Renjun gone for the moment, Donghyuck sighed and frowned at Jeno. “You know you shouldn’t have said that earlier, right? You know he hates for it to be brought up.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You need to find a way to apologise. Because I don’t want to listen to Jun toss and turn all night when he sleeps in my room.” Jeno’s scent turned more burnt and Donghyuck coughed. Yuta’s scent grew stronger slightly for a moment and Donghyuck had to pull back from him. “Okay, can you all please calm down? Before I have to go outside or something? That’s probably one of the reasons Jun went to the restroom.”

“So what is Renjun upset about?” Yuta’s voice was soft and it was obvious to Donghyuck he was trying to control his scent. “I don’t want to upset him more or another time. And it’s clearly an issue for him.”

Jaemin’s scent had grown stronger as well and Donghyuck shook his head. “I can’t breathe with everyone’s scents so strong. I’m going outside for a moment. Clear things up here.” He stood and gave Jeno a pointed stare before turning to the door. 

When he stepped outside, Donghyuck closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air was cold and he absently wrapped his arms around himself, jumping slightly as he felt other arms wrapping around him. Yuta laughed softly before pulling him closer. “You always seem to go outside in the cold without the right coat. Is this going to be a regular thing with us?” 

Donghyuck huffed and turned his head from Yuta, barely able to keep from laughing at the ticklish feeling of Yuta tucking his nose into Donghyuck’s neck. Donghyuck squeaked slightly and pulled away with a frown, his cheeks flushing. “Stop trying to scent me,  _ hyung _ . I came outside because the scents were too strong.” He crossed his arms across his chest.

“You were upset, Hyuckie. You’ve been on edge the whole time.” Yuta’s face dropped to a more serious soft expression and he kept his hands at his sides. “I don’t want to overstep if it’s a secret personal thing, but I would rather know what happened that upset Renjun so I won’t make the mistake and upset him again later or make things worse today. He’s your best friend, so I’m sure there will be plenty of time spent with him as well.” 

Yuta smiled slightly and Donghyuck chuckled slightly, rolling his eyes before sighing with a nod. “Okay, but just so you don’t mention it or make things worse.” Donghyuck took a breath before moving to stand closer to Yuta again, not wanting to admit it but he was getting cold. “You haven’t met him yet, but Renjun’s roommate is one of his childhood friends, Chenle. Jun’s parents work for Chenle’s parents and the two grew up together. Chenle’s parents are really wealthy. They have businesses and property and a lot of stuff in several fields. Lele is their only child, so he’s been raised to inherit everything and take over the businesses. Chenle’s parents want Jun to be Lele’s second in command. The clause was already written into Jun’s parents’ contracts that the Zhong’s would pay for Jun’s college tuition.” Donghyuck paused to sigh, remembering how upset Renjun had been the first time he had explained to him why he was majoring in business. “When they decided to come here, Chenle’s parents insisted that Jun major in business. Lele is technically a business major on paper too, but he’s only taking one business class, and that’s for arts management. Lele is a music kid too, he’s in some of my music classes as well.” 

Donghyuck felt Yuta nod, his scent a little darker. “So Renjun is being forced to major in something he doesn’t want to do? Because his tuition and fees are being paid by someone else.” Donghyuck nodded, leaning into Yuta. “What does he want to major in?”

“He’s never said anything specifically, I think he doesn’t want to make things harder to accept.” Donghyuck felt Yuta wrap his arms around him, one hand rubbing his back lightly. “If I had to guess, just from how he talks about things, it would be something with art. Or maybe he’d do music too.” He chuckled softly. “He sings to himself when he’s doing random things at the dorm. A month or so ago, when Jeno got sick, Jun would sing lullabies to him. He acts tough and cold, but he’s just as disgustingly sappy as the other two.”

Yuta laughed and nodded. “They definitely seem to fit each other.” Donghyuck hummed with a nod. “I think I see Renjun back at the table. We should go back inside. I’m sure Jaemin has other things to ask.”

Donghyuck laughed at Yuta’s grin as he pulled back and turned back to the restaurant. “If I didn’t already know Nana, I would question why he’s so intent on arguing about favorite colors. But it honestly doesn’t surprise me.” 

When they got back to their table, Donghyuck saw that Renjun had been pulled to sit between his mates and the scents around the table were more normal again and he mentally sighed in relief. He sat back down and took a sip of his water, sending Renjun a questioning look to make sure he was okay. 

“So  _ hyung _ , what’s your favorite movie genre?” Jaemin shook his head at Donghyuck. “Don’t question me. This is an important question.” 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes and reached to take more food. “Sci-fi. What is yours? Since this is such an important question.” Yuta’s voice and scent were both colored with the teasing smile on his face.

Jaemin shook his head with an exaggerated frown. “Horror is better. But you can talk about things with Junnie. That’s his favorite too.” Jaemin leaned to rest his head on Renjun’s shoulder again and Donghyuck grinned to himself at the lack of rejection from Renjun. “We should have a movie marathon together sometime. You two can nerd out over space and whatever else.”

Yuta’s laugh was loud and Donghyuck smiled at the sound, shifting to lean closer to him. He frowned playfully at Jaemin. “Are you trying to set up our mates? I was wrong earlier, you’re not trying to steal him for yourself.”

Renjun laughed and shook his head. “I’m not stealing anyone. These two are trouble enough. You can keep yours Hyuck. Besides, maybe this will keep you from being clingy and annoying all the time.”

“Excuse you, I am a delight! You should be thrilled to spend time with me.” Donghyuck scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest before nudging Yuta with his elbow. “Right?”

“Of course you are, Hyuckie.” Yuta laughed and pressed a kiss to Donghyuck’s cheek.

“He’s biased, his opinion doesn’t count.” Renjun scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Jaemin waved his hands over the table. “Okay, one more very important question.” He turned to Yuta, raising an eyebrow, his face serious. “What is your Hogwarts house?”

Jeno burst out laughing and Renjun shook his head with a chuckle. Donghyuck just rolled his eyes. He glanced over to see Renjun and Jeno holding hands again and he smiled to himself. Hopefully they had worked everything out. Because an angry Renjun is never a good thing.

“Slytherin, of course.” Yuta grinned as he answered, and Jaemin clapped his hands together with a smile.

“I approve! You have my blessing.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, laughing at the overdramatic antics from Jaemin. “He doesn’t need your blessing, Nana. Your opinion is completely irrelevant.”

The offended scoff from Jaemin caused the rest of the table to laugh before Jeno glanced around the table. “I think we’ve all finished eating? We can go for dessert?”

Everyone seemed to be in agreement and they stood to leave. When Yuta went to pay, Donghyuck frowned and tried to stop and catch him. He pouted and crossed his arms over his chest and Yuta laughed before wrapping his arms around him and pulling him outside where the others had moved to. 

“You didn’t have to pay. It was my invitation.” Donghyuck huffed. “Well, technically it was Jun’s. But they’re my friends.”

Yuta laughed and took his hand with a smile. “Fine, you can buy dessert. For yourself.”

Donghyuck frowned and Yuta laughed again, his scent bright and warm. The happiness and comfort in the scent made it hard to keep a frown on his face, and when they reached the others Renjun laughed at him. “You are whipped. He’s using the scent, isn’t he?” Renjun winked at Donghyuck. Even though Renjun was a beta, his extra scent sensitivity meant he could be somewhat affected by alpha pushes or alpha scents in general.

“It’s even worse for omegas, and he knows I have an extra sensitivity to scents.” Donghyuck pouted, walking over to pull Renjun away from his mates and linked arms with him. He ignored the laughter from behind them, pulling Renjun along as they walked towards a small shop on campus that was an odd combination of bakery, cafe, and ice cream shop.

Donghyuck was pulled to a stop by Yuta’s arms wrapping around his waist and pulling him back against him. Yuta’s scent was bright and warm and Donghyuck leaned back against him. “You cheated.”

Jaemin’s laugh came from beside them and Donghyuck turned to frown at him. “As cute as this is - and trust me, it is almost as cute as Junnie -” Jaemin ignored the glare from Renjun, laughing slightly at the hit on the arm, “can we go inside? I can feel Jeno’s puppy eyes begging for ice cream.”

Donghyuck turned to Jeno who glanced around with a confused expression, causing them all to laugh again. “Okay, let’s go get the baby his ice cream.” 

“I’m older than you, Hyuck.” Jeno’s frown looked more like a pout and that only made Donghyuck laugh even harder. 

“By a few months, that doesn’t make any difference. Unless you have a  _ hyung _ fetish or something?” Donghyuck smirked as Jeno turned a bright red, shaking his head.

Renjun shook his head, grinning in return. “Nah. Besides, I’m the oldest, and these two-”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough! I don’t need to hear about my best friend and roommates’ sex lives.” Donghyuck shook his head, waving his hands with a laugh from everyone. “Let’s just get dessert and pretend that conversation never happened.”

Renjun shrugged with a grin. “You’re the one who asked.”

“Oh shut up, Jun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ i don't own any of the nct members - this is just fiction ]
> 
> I'm sorry if anyone thinks the ending is abrupt / such - I just didn't want to make it seem like it was dragging out (and I'm honestly kind of bad at writing proper endings - I normally just have cliffhangers heh)
> 
> also - what does everything think of the new dreamies comeback? ... I had the mini album on repeat for almost the whole day that it came out - and the boys look great in the mv too (my babies are growing up *proud mom* hehe) ... and dream a fixed unit with 7?! 🥳 ... feel free to chat about it if you want - or anything else 
> 
> be safe and take care of yourselves ... and I hope you're all having a good day / night! :)


End file.
